Twelve percent of residents in Mississippi suffer from diabetes, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC notes that diabetes rates in the United States have taken a turn for the worse since 1995. According to the agency, rates are up 50 percent in 42 states while doubling in 18 states.

According to the AFP, only three states had a diabetes rate of six percent or higher in 1995. By 2010, all 50 states had a diabetes rate of 50 percent or higher. The national average according to the CDC is now seven percent.

Fairing the worst in the fight against diabetes are Mississippi with 12 percent of residents suffering from the disease and Oklahoma where 10 percent of the population is believed to have mostly type 2 diabetes. The statistic in Oklahoma might be the most troubling as it is a 226 percent increase from 1995 through 2010.

According to the study’s lead author:

“Regionally, we saw the largest increase in diagnosed diabetes prevalence in the South, followed by the West, Midwest, and Northeast.”

Other states experiencing huge increases include Kentucky, which increases by 158 percent to an average of nine percent; Georgia, up 145 percent to 10 percent; and Alabama, up 140 percent to 11 percent.

The study’s author notes:

“These rates will continue to increase until effective interventions and policies are implemented to prevent both diabetes and obesity.”

With more people become obese type 2 diabetes, which is linked to unhealthy lifestyle choices and obesity, now accounts for upwards of 95 percent of those cases.

Although the study did not include 2011 or year-to-date statistics, it is likely safe to assume that those numbers have gotten worse as America continues to pack on the pounds.